Automobile headlight



prl 2, 1929.

F. RIEDEL AUTOMOBILE HEADLI GHT Filed April 5, 1928 ywemtoz WIZZ 71270?! 7 @www @M i WA v /f Patented Apr. 2,1929.

UNITED STATES rnANz RIEDEL, or LONG ISLAND cifra, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT.

- Application led April 5,

This invention relates to automobile headlights and more particularly to devices for automatically controlling 'the position of such headlights.

The usual headlight commonly included in the equipment of automobiles is not dirigible and is rigidly supported so that it is at all times'parallel with the body of the automobile. This ymanner of 'mounting headlights is objectionable in that when the automobile is being turned, the wheels will be pointed in one direction and the headlight will be directed in another direction, with the result that the area into which the autoi5 mobile is being turned is not illuminated.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device for automatically positioning a headlight so that it will at all times be directed to\correspond with the turning of the wheels.

A further object is to provide a headlight which may be attached to a standard automobile without material alterations.

A still further object is to provide a dirigible headlight which follows the turning of the wheels and at the same time is equipped with means for indicatingto others the direction in which the wheels are being turned.

These and other objects are attained hy S0-the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, constituting a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of an automobile equipped with the dirigible headlight and si nalling means on the rear,` mud guards.

*igure 2 is a perspective View showing the manner in which the operating structure is connected to a steering mechanism-- Figure 3 is a cross-sectional' view showing details of the mountingI structure.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of Figure v3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View of one of the rod supports. v

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 is Shown the front view of an automobile having the usual headlight supporting bar 7 with headlights 8 mounted thereon and signal lights 9 and 10 mounted on the rear mud guards for the purpose of indicating the direction in which the automobile is being turned. x

In Fi ure3, each headlight is shown to be mounte on the rod 7 by means of an arm 11 1928. Serial No. 267,561.

clamped about rod 7, the arm -11 passing ythrough a horizontal slot 12 in the casing 13 and having suitable ball bearings 14 and415 mounted on its extremity to facilitate the turning of casings 13 and 16 relative to the arm 11.

The upper casing 16, which forms the base of the headlight structure, is threadedly connected with the ,lower easing 13 and adapted to turn therewith. y

Positioned in the headlight 8 is the usual incandescent lamp 17 suitably mounted on the stationary tube 18, through which passes the wires 19 which also pass through an aperture 20 in the casing 13 and thence to. a source of electrical current,

Mounted on the supportin tube 18 is an electrical contact button 2 1 W ich is adapted to engage either of the spring contact members 22 and 23 to close an electrical circuit to cause either of the lamps 9 or 10 to light, depending upon tlie direction in which the automobile is being turned.

The casing 13 has `a tubular portion 24 which is rectangular in cross-section at 'its lower end to accommodate the rectangular rod 25, shown in Figure '3. The lower end of rod 25, indicated by the numeral 26, is circular in cross-section and is joui'nalled in the plates of a Aball bearing2l8, which is housed in the chamber formed by the flange 30 of the' supporting bracket 31, the latter being mounted ori-the front axle 36 offanautomobile. A cover plate 29 is provided with a downturned flange to completely encase the hall bearing 28 and the plate 29 is adapted to turn with they rod 25.

N on-rotatably connected with the rod 25 is an arm 34, the end of which rests loosel between the 4discs on rod 32 connected wit the steering mechanism and consequently rod 25 will be likewise rotated to turn the casin 13 and headlight 8 in a direction correspon ing to the direction in which the wheels are being tuined. During this turning movement, Contact button 21 will close a circuit through either spring 22 or 23 to cause one ofthe rear indicator lamps to be lighted.

The foregoing description is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed, including many modifications, without departing from the general scope hlr'ein indicated and denoted in the appended c aims.

i Patent, is f 1. A dirigible headlightcomprising a hollow casing havinga horizontalslotnan arm mounted on a suitable support and extending into the casing through the slot, a tube in threaded'engagement with the arm and lsupportin anincandescent lam ro erl ositionedgin the headlight, fiiiciiioli) reuling means interposed between said arm `and the casing, a rod non-rotatably engaging and ex,- tending into the casing, and means for connecting said rod with the steering mechanism oi an automobile so that the casing will be -turned in a direction corresponding with the direction in which the wheels of the automobile are being turned. I l

2. A dirigible headlight for automobiles comprising a hollow casing havinga horizontal slot, an arm mounted on a suitablesupport and extending into the casing through the slot, means connectedwith said arm for supporting. an incandescent lamp, and means connecting said casing with the steeringmech- .anism of anautomobile so that Ithe casing will be turned in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the wheels of the automobile are being turned.

In witness whereof I have aflixed my signature.

, vFRANZ RIEDEJL.` 

